The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has given the Federal Government another week to act on its demands or risk an industrial action just as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also threatened.
TUC President, Festus Osifo, while briefing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, after a closed-door meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, said the congress was tired of holding endless meetings and wanted definite pronouncements from President Bola Tinubu on its demands.
Lalong assured the union that the federal government was addressing their concerns.
“I had the privilege of meeting with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress once again, marking the second time in as many weeks. My purpose was to personally update them on the efforts that the Federal Government has been making to address their concerns since our last meeting,” he said in a post on X.
“In the company of the Minister of State, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyeajeocha, I spoke to the TUC members, explaining that following our previous meeting, I had a conversation with the President. During this discussion, I emphasized the critical issues raised by the labour union.
“I implored the TUC to exercise patience, sharing that, before the President’s departure for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, he was fully briefed on the matters at hand. Furthermore, he provided clear directives on how to proceed with the issues, especially after his personal interaction with labor leaders.”
Tuesday’s meeting followed a similar meeting wherein the union gave the government a two-week window to address the impasse.
The issues to be addressed within the two weeks included wage awards for federal civil servants, tax exemption for some categories of workers, and setting up structures to effectively implement the palliatives from the Federal Government.
